PuristSPro Los Angeles GTG: Community & Friendship

ThomasM · 2015-05-25T02:37:10Z

ThomasM celebrates the PuristSPro community spirit with a recap of a Los Angeles GTG, emphasizing friendship, fine watches, food, and wine.

ThomasM

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

50 replies12758 views3 photos

ThomasM reflects on the enduring spirit of the PuristSPro community, emphasizing the importance of local gatherings as a cornerstone of its virtual life since 2001. He highlights a recent Los Angeles get-together, celebrating the shared passion for watches, food, wine, and cars as vehicles for meaningful friendships and new discoveries.

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Local get togethers have always been a pillar of PuristS' life since we were founded as a virtual community back in 2001. It used to be that anywhere in the world a Purist went, there was a local group ready to give a warm welcome.

Unfortunately, "real life" intrudes, personalities clash, and new "significant others" or spouses dictate a new set of priorities. Alas, local LA GTG's have dwindled of late, lacking direction and leadership.

But like the seasons, the weather and mood changes...

As PuristSPro gets ready for our "Great Leap Forward" we also want to make sure what is so precious and most important to us is not forgotten - that the watches, food, wine, cars - these are all merely in service of living a full and meaningful life, one filled with moments spent with good friends that share common values and tastes, helping each other with new points of view, new discoveries, and making new memories.

No dish tastes so good, no wine so rich, no watch so meaningful, as those shared with good friends.

Going back to my "signature" when all this started, 14 years ago -

"Life is too short to drink mediocre wine;
Time is too precious to measure on a cheap watch."

Local LA PuristS got together to welcome back Melvyn (MTF) - his last trip was over 5 years ago!

(those in attendance - please share more pictures and comments with our global community how LA PuristS do GTG's! Can you believe I didn't get any food pictures?

Here's what a PuristS GTG parking lot looks like - Italian kissing cousins...

PuristS alway seek the rare and the good, even if few others have ever heard of them...

And what is a PuristS' GTG without watches? oodles and oodles of them...

Thanks to all those that turned out to make this a night to remember...

Key Points from the Discussion

MTF thanks attendees for making the GTG a success despite the Memorial Day long weekend, acknowledging other competing events like a Rolling Stones concert.
A community member fully agrees with the sentiment that shared experiences with good friends enhance the enjoyment of food, wine, and watches, suggesting it as a motto for PuristSPro.
Patrick_y describes the GTG's rustic dining experience, noting the family-style food service, lack of formality, and the feeling of a large family gathering, despite the rich and varied menu.
ThomasM addresses past challenges with personal agendas and egos within the community, promising fundamental changes to maintain principles and guidelines while also balancing rules with compassion.
A member expresses gratitude for finding the PuristSPro community, likening it to 'finding Charles Xavier school of gifted talents' for watch enthusiasts, and appreciating not being alone in their passion.
Amanico strongly agrees with the philosophy that life is too short for mediocre wine and time too precious for cheap watches, expressing nostalgia for the 'So Cal Gang' after seeing the pictures.
Ling shares similar challenges in organizing GTGs in Malaysia but highlights creative solutions like using weddings or birthdays as opportunities for members to gather.

The Discussion

amanico

May 25, 2015

Nicely written, Thomas.

"Life is too short to drink mediocre wine; Time is too precious to measure on a cheap watch." I cannot agree more with that. When looking at those pictures, I miss the So Cal Gang so much! What is this Ferrari? A 328??? Thanks for witnessing Watchrprosite Spirit in such an eloquent way, Amigo. Best, Nicolas

ThomasM

May 25, 2015

That was my email signature since the late 1990's...

It was a Ferrari 308 Quattrovalvole Watchprosite is a wholly owned subsidiary and domain of PuristSPro so yeah, I agree! Cheers, amigo.

Ares501 - Mr Green

May 25, 2015

The words to live by had been written...

"No dish tastes so good, no wine so rich, no watch so meaningful, as those shared with good friends" Couldn't agree more Nothing to add nothing to subtract The new motto of PPro Sincerely Damjan

ThomasM

May 25, 2015

Thanks, Damjan, and you are one of the stalwarts...respect! [nt]

SALMANPK

May 25, 2015

Oh Happy Day :-)

I loved your Post Dr. T and suddenly this started playing in my head I am excited for the future and can't wait to experience the Great Leap Forward :-) S

ThomasM

May 25, 2015

Thanks, Salman, you are one of the old timers and ...

as we discussed in Kuwait, we might have gotten offtrack for a bit with personal agendas and personalities but we will be seeing massive fundamental changes around here very soon... Personalities and egos will no longer be given free reign, even as we maintain principles and guidelines. Of course, the other extreme, rules over compassion and understanding, will also be brought back under control. Cheers, TM

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